Professional Development Opportunity featuring the Virtual MLK Project 

The Virtual MLK Project (vMLK), a digital humanities transmedia project, is offering no-cost professional development for social studies and history teachers of grades 8-12.

The vMLK Project team from NC State will be offering a hybrid professional development opportunity for teachers to learn about the vMLK Project and how the Project uses audio recordings, documentaries, archival images, and virtual reality to provide students with an immersive experience of local, North Carolina (and national) Civil Rights history. 

The vMLK Experience Grades 8-12 Professional Development (1.5-3 hours) is a hybrid model featuring both a synchronous session offered on Wednesday, February 16 from 4:00-5:30 pm and asynchronous, guided activities accessed through the vMLK Project website. The synchronous session will be recorded, and registrants who are unable to attend will be sent the video afterward. The synchronous session is 1.5 hours, and there are up to 1.5 additional hours of professional development available through the asynchronous activities.

There is no cost to attend. To register for this impactful professional development opportunity, please click on the link and complete the Google registration form

.

You may also contact Dr. Victoria Gallagher, the Principal Investigator/Lead Scholar of the vMLK Project via email: vgallagh@ncsu.edu.

"Contemporary Middle East in Context” - Spring Webinar Series

All events occur from 5:00 - 6:30 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time and are FREE! 

Between February and April 2022, K-14 educators in the U.S. and around the world are invited to a three-part webinar series exploring certain current issues in the Middle East with a focus on historical context. Each 90-minute session will feature a different issue that demonstrates how understanding the past is essential for comprehending today’s Middle East. Content experts will introduce important contemporary issues before delving back into the past to explore how we arrived at our present moment. Attending teachers will gain a deeper understanding of the region’s history and current events, as well as ideas about incorporating this information into classrooms. They can also earn Professional Development Hours.

LEARN MORE AND REGISTER: http://go.unc.edu/mideastcontext

"Contemporary Middle East in Context" is a collaboration between the two National Resource Centers (NRCs) of the Consortium for Middle East Studies at Duke University-The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and of the Center for Middle Eastern & North African Studies at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. It has been funded by Title VI grants awarded by the U.S. Department of Education to these NRCs.

Popular Culture In Asia: China, Japan, and Vietnam

This semester the North Carolina Teaching Asia Network (NCTAN) and the South Carolina Center for Teaching About Asia will present a three-session workshop on Popular Culture in Asia.  Talks will address issues such as the ways in which science fiction writers use literature to contemplate the changing urban landscape in contemporary China, and how censorship affects cultural production in Vietnam. Teachers who participate in the workshop will discover new stories and films from Asia to introduce to students and develop vocabulary with which to discuss Asian pop culture in the classroom.  Workshop attendees will receive PD credits and supplementary materials provided by the centers.

Registration link: go.unc.edu/k12popasia

NO FEAR: The Extraordinary Life & Talent of Nina Simone

Thurs. Feb. 17 (6-7:15 pm) via Zoom

A FREE virtual program as part of Carolina K-12’s William Friday Virtual Education Initiative

“I’ll tell you what freedom is to me:  no fear.”

Join Carolina K-12 for the next installment of the William Friday Virtual Education Series to explore the incredible life and career of Nina Simone, as well as her place in every classroom, from history to ELA to music. Acclaimed musician, Dr. Lenora Helm Hammonds will discuss Nina Simone’s life and music, from Nina’s early years growing up in North Carolina as a musical prodigy to her activism in the Civil Rights Movement.

Additionally, in special appreciation of our state’s PreK – 12 teachers, and in acknowledgement of the extraordinary times educators are currently managing, 60 attendees will receive a FREE copy of the new, award-winning children’s book, “Nina: A Story of Nina Simone" by Traci N. Todd, to be mailed post-event. A lesson plan for teaching about Nina Simone by Carolina K-12 will also be provided.

FREE REGISTRATION AVAILABLE HERE

NCCEE EPF Spring Institute Cohort 13 – Classroom Teachers 
MARCH 7-11, 2022
8AM-4PM AT UNC CHARLOTTE

This week-long, 40-hour institute will equip educators with the tools, skills, and knowledge they need to be prepared to teach the new Economics and Personal Finance course. This cohort will meet in person each day at UNC Charlotte from 8 am- 4 pm on March 7-11. This training is for teachers who teach in North Carolina and are teaching or slated to teach the EPF course.

REGISTER HERE

NCCEE Professional Development Self-Paced Courses for K-12 Teachers

ASYNCHRONOUS AT GOOGLE CLASSROOM

Are you going to be teaching the Economics and Personal Finance Course soon and have no idea where to begin? These asynchronous courses give ideas of what to expect and where to begin. Teachers who complete the course will receive a certificate for 10 hours of PD. Please note, this is not a substitute for a 40-hour EPF Institute, it is a preview.

Register to Attend 

• Economic Decision Making 101 (5 hours) March 1-31, In this interactive, self-paced professional development for high school teachers, you will learn everything you need to teach economic decision making in the classroom and how to utilize the National Economics Challenge. Complete Economic Decision Making 101 for 5 hours of professional development credit, or pair with Financial Planning 101 for 10 hours equal to 1 CEU. Teachers who have previously completed this course are not eligible to attend. This course is being offered via Google Classroom. There is no cost to attend but space is limited. Register
  
  
• Taxes 101 (5 hours) April 1-30 In this interactive, self-paced professional development, you will learn everything you need to teach taxes in the classroom. The course will include Q&As with qualified financial professionals and an introduction to the Turbo Tax Simulation tool. Complete Taxes 101 for 5 hours of professional development credit. Teachers who have previously completed this course are not eligible to attend. This course is being offered via Google Classroom. There is no cost to attend but space is limited. Register

There is no cost to attend these asynchronous courses but space is limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis. A certificate for completion will be provided for CEU purposes.

Learn More and Register

NEH: Ancient Stories, New Neighbors: Decolonizing Indigenous Homelands and 17th-Century New England

Location: Plymouth, MA

Dates: July 24 - August 6, 2022 (2 weeks- Residential)

Explore new voices and historical perspectives that are rapidly changing the way we understand and teach Indigenous and colonial history and its continued significance today. Join Plimoth Patuxet Museums and expert faculty from tribal communities, colleges, and universities across the country for a two-week, residential National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Institute for K-12 Educators July 24 - August 6, 2022. "Ancient Stories, New Neighbors" will use Mourt’s Relation, a 1622 English pamphlet detailing the early years of Plymouth Colony, as a case study in decolonizing historical narratives and recentering Indigenous voices by employing a range of related primary sources including archaeology, landscape, material culture, oral history, and written documents. The institute will reveal how an Indigenous-colonial regional landscape was built and evolved through collaboration and conflict in the 1600s.

A $2200 stipend is provided for each participant and graduate credit will be available. The deadline to apply is March 1, 2022.

For questions, contact teach@plimoth.org or 508-746-1622 x8287

VIEW & APPLY

NEH: “For the Common Defense: Subjects, Citizens, and America’s Military Origins, 1609-1815”

Location: Ticonderoga, NY
Dates: July 17-29, 2022 
(2 weeks- Residential)

This two-week Summer Institute for Teachers supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities explores the evolution and the legacy of military institutions in America from the establishment of European colonies through the conclusion of the War of 1812. Open to 25 teachers in grades 6-12, this institute at Fort Ticonderoga combines readings, visiting scholars, hands-on work with documents and artifacts, and engagement with historic sites and landscapes.

This NEH Summer Institute for Teachers takes place July 17-29, 2022.There is no fee for this program and all participants receive a $2,200 stipend to help defray expenses. 

Participating teachers can opt to earn three graduate credits in Education through Castleton University in Castleton, Vermont. Fort Ticonderoga is currently in discussion with Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont, to enable teachers to earn three graduate credits in History as an option.

For questions, contact rstrum@fort-ticonderoga.org or 518-585-6370

Applications are due March 1, 2022. 

VIEW & APPLY

February is Black History Month!

“February is Black History Month. During this month, we celebrate Black Americans, past and present, who have made indelible contributions on the United States and North Carolina history with their artistry, professional achievements, and community activism.”

~NC Public Schools

February is Black History Month! It originally started as only a week-long celebration beginning in 1926. The celebration was created by prominent African American scholar and historian Carter G. Woodson. The month of February was chosen to recognize the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Many colleges started having month long events instead of the original week long celebration. In 1976, President Ford officially extended the recognition of Black history to a month long event. Here are some resources you can use during the month and beyond:

• AfricanAmericanHistoryMonth.gov has exhibits, collections, audio, video, primary documents and images from The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial.
• NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources: Check here for lists of events in the Eastern, Western, and Piedmont regions of NC! Events include musical performances,  exhibits, and virtual or on site visits to places significant in NC African American culture.

NCCEE Financial Literacy Challenges

Economics Challenge

The National Economics Challenge is a state, regional and national competition for high school students designed to increase their understanding of and interest in economics and finance. Students compete in teams for a chance to win prizes and a trip to New York City to compete in the national finals. Use this link to access registration information for the NC Economics Challenge.

NC Personal Finance Challenge

The Personal Finance Challenge is a state and national competition for middle and high school students designed as an opportunity for students to demonstrate their knowledge of Personal Finance by competing with other students across the state in a web-based multiple-choice examination. Middle school students compete statewide and high school students compete for a chance to advance to the state championship round and ultimately the national competition. Use this link to access registration information for the NC Personal Finance Challenge.

Free Book Set 2: 

Elie Wiesel's Night

                                                                                                          Elie Wiesel's memoir, Night, has become a standard text used in many classes to teach about the Holocaust. Night describes Elie Wiesel's experiences and emotions at the hands of the Nazis during the Holocaust: the roundup of his family and neighbors; deportation by cattle car to the concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau; the division of his family forever during the selection process; the mental and physical anguish he and his fellow prisoners experienced as they were stripped of their humanity; and the death march to Buchenwald, where his father died just days before American troops liberated the camp.  Link to order books is below.

Important notes:

1. You will need to create your free First Book account before you can order the free books from the First Book Marketplace. This opportunity is only available to educators serving students in need.
2. You may only apply one promo code per order. Please choose the title that is best for your curriculum or the age of students you serve.  If you have any questions about additional resources to support teaching about the Holocaust, please utilize the Museum's Ask An Educator form and a member of staff will get back to you. We are available to support your teaching about this complex subject and can provide information about local and regional programming.
3. For questions about joining the First Book community of educators, please feel free to contact Member Services at help@firstbook.org or 1-866-READ-NOW. We hope these powerful resources will help support Holocaust education in your classroom and community. - Your friends at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
4. Disclaimer: Because North Carolina is a local-control state, all curricular decisions are approved at the local level. Prior to implementing any of the materials, teachers should follow appropriate policies and procedures to have content vetted and approved by their school and district leaders. 

About the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: A living memorial to the Holocaust, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum inspires citizens and leaders worldwide to confront hatred, prevent genocide, and promote human dignity. The Museum offers a variety of teaching resources and professional development programs for educators dedicated to promoting accurate and relevant teaching of the Holocaust.

About First Book: First Book is dedicated to breaking down barriers to quality, equitable education by working with Title I-eligible schools and community programs to provide free or low-cost books and resources to educators nationwide. We encourage you to read more about the benefits of creating a free First Book membership below or visit www.firstbook.org/Holocaust. You can confirm your eligibility to join First Book here.

WeVideo for Schools Still Available for Social Studies Teacher and Students

N.C. History Day still has free accounts available to provide online video editing software for Social Studies class projects this school year.  WeVideo for Schools is COPPA- and FERPA-compliant making it safe and secure students to use.  Teachers have access to monitor student work and make class videos of their own. The cloud-based platform will allow students to work on video projects on multiple device types, switch between schoolwork locations, and help group projects work together even if remote. Teachers and students do not need to be compete in History Day to use the platform for the spring semester. This is a great PBL opportunity!   Teachers can email karen.ipock@ncdcr.gov to find out more and get them and their students set-up with access for this semester.

Landmarks of American History and Culture Program

Application Due: February 22, 2022

The Landmarks of American History and Culture program supports a series of one-week workshops for K-12 educators across the nation to enhance and strengthen humanities teaching at the K-12 level.

The program defines a landmark as a site of historic importance within the United States and its territories.  Landmarks could include historic homes, museums, presidential libraries, and sites memorializing literary, artistic, or architectural achievements.  Projects could take place in public spaces and neighborhoods, major waterways, national parks, or other locations of historic importance.

Projects employ a place-based approach and are designed to offer educators a unique and compelling opportunity to deepen and expand their knowledge of the diverse histories, cultures, traditions, languages, and perspectives of the American people.  Applicants are encouraged to think creatively about place-based learning strategies, experiential learning methodologies, and other professional development goals. Projects explore central themes in American history and culture, including government, literature, the arts, architecture, archaeology, and related humanities subjects.

Learn More

The Global Educator Digital Badge

Words of Wisdom from Global Educator Digital Badge Earners

The Global Educator Digital Badge (GEDB) provides an opportunity for educators to focus their professional development on developing their own global context and understanding of how to integrate global education throughout curricula. It also provides the opportunity to build global competency in students. 

Some educators, who have earned the NCDPI Global Educator Digital Badge (GEDB), have shared their thoughts on the benefits of getting the badge and how it has impacted their teaching. 

A video of the GEDB Recipients sharing their words of wisdom can be viewed using this link.   

For more information on the Badge (SBE Policy, FAQs, Process Flyer, Implementation Guide, MOA), please visit the website or contact NCGlobalEducation@dpi.nc.gov.